Football game



Jan. 3, 1928. v

I C. G. DEVINE FOOTBALL GAME Original Filed May 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 3, 1928. 1,654,582

c. G. DEVINE FOOTBALL GAME Original Filed May 1'7, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fl/zm/ Wm.

40 and not instructive.

Patented Jan. 3, 1928.

UNITED STA CHARLES e. nnvmn, or noncnas'rnn,

massa'cnusn'r'rs.

FOOTBALL GAME.

Application meana 7.1926, Serial This invention relates to a game of skill and strategy and more particularly to such a game having the elements and principles. of football.

a game board having the representation a regula i'onfootball. field thereon, and having a plurality of objects representing players adap ed to be arranged in team formation for offensive anddefensivepurposes.

It is a further object of the invention to produce a game wherein skill and strategy are the dominating factors and wherein but a small percentage of the plays are decided Another object of the invention is to produce a miniature football game wherein the players of one team are easily distinguished from those of the otherteam, and wherein each player has a distinguishing mark designating his position on his respective team.

It is a further object of the invention to produce a game board wherein the playing field is divided into squares and wherein each square has a hole therein for the recep tion of a pin with which each of the players is provided for the purpose of positioning the players about the board for various team formations and individual moves of the' .players.

Heretofore in football games of this class known to me, theexercise ofskill and strategy was not required because of the fact that the movement ofthe ball was decided by 'chance plays directed by an indicator whic was operated by the participants in turn, and players were notused-which could be moved individually for strategic purposes, consequently the games were uninteresting present invention contemplates a; both-skill and strategy are nee-.1 essary factors for the successful termination 1- of a game. and wherein a knowledge of the} game of football though not necessarilyre-fi quired, when combined with, skill and strategy in choosing the player carry the ball, players to protect that player, and to break the opponents line adds enthusiastic interest to the game which cana not be aroused in the mere games of chance heretofore known to me;

The invention will be fully understood The gamev wherein It is an object of the invention to produce g indicators to/ be used for certain 0 showing, a. p

h prominently displayed.

No. 109,718. mam Maya-1,1927.

from a description of the drawings and the 'claim hereinafter given.

the drawings Figure 1 represents a top plan view of the ame board upon ranged as might be the case at the start 0 the game or kick-off.

- Figure 2 s a side elevation of the game board shown in Fi ure 1.

Figure 3 is an en arged view of a portion of the game board showing a possible forma tion at the start of a scrimmage.

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of one of the plays. 7 Fig'n-e 5 is an enlarged view of one of the gbfiacts representing a player carrying the a a Figure 6 is a top plan view of Fi ure 5 ortion of the game bear with one of the objects representing a player thereon as carrying t to view the distinguishing mark which desnates his position on his team.

Like characters represent like parts throughout the several figures of the drawings. v

Referring to the drawings. The drawings means of applying the invention wherein a board 10 of any suitable material has a representation of a football field having the usual goals and-ten-yard lines For the purpose of the present game the field is divided into squares each of which is a hole 11 for the reception f the 1n the middle of which a miniature footf ball fieldis indicated with the players ar;

he ball, and GXPOSlIlg herewith lllustrate a simple arranged thereon of a pin 12 with which each of the objects 13,

representing the players, is provlded, the said squares being preferably considered to be one yard square.

Each of -the players means l i to which the ball tached asshown For convenience of explanation theob ects 13 will be hereinafter referred to as players ,while the supposed persons making the moves or plays will be referred to as A and B. At preferably diametrlcally ners of the board 10- are located the indicator devices 16 which are brought'into use at the 15 may be atin Figure 5 of the drawings.

opposite corright guard,,right tackle,.

different plays.

' The indicators 16 are each provided with start of the game and at such times as plays are-called for or decided upon that cannot be actually performed by the players as will be further described.

'5 The contesting teams will consist of the loherein, as for instance crimson for Harvard .and blue for Yale, and each player will have a mark'or character designating his position in the formation of his team, as for instance the center will have the numeral 1 while the right end, quarter-back and right half-back will have the numerals 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 respectively, the left guard, left tackle, left end, left halfback and full-back will have the numerals 2 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 respectively.

The players of the other team will be similarly numbered but herein they will be referred toas n'umbers 1 to 11" inclusive to avoid confusion in the explanation of the an arrow QO'arranged. to be spun by one or the other of the contestants A or B at the start of the game for a chance indication of the numberof-yards gained by the kickoff as represented by the figures in the outer' circular area, the next inner area contains figures which represent the yardage gained by the side receiving the ball after the kickoff, after a punt, or after the interception of a forward pass. W The ,success or fa lure of a forward pass .is indicated on the next inner area, while the I success or failure of a try for goal from the field, the try for goal after touchdown, ora

drop kick is indicated on the innermost cir- 'cular area. I 4

. In playing the game the oflicial rules of football will be observed as far as possible and the participants will toss up for ch0ice team,1t is now Bs first move and his players of team,-goal and kick-off. 'Viewing. Figure .1 let it be supposed that Ahas won the toss and has chosen his team, goal, and elected to kick-off, and thereupon 5O linesup his players at the left of the board for that pur ose, and therefore his team hecomes the-o enslve one.

Generally speaking, ground gaining by the offensive team-by plunges, end runs, and, line breaking is somewhat slow in progress and consequently for the-purpose of the present game the players on that team are somewhat restricted as regards the amount of yardage they are permitted to advance on 60 each move.

vThe four back field, pla ers consisting of the quarter-back, left halfiack, right halfback, full-back and the two ends, or numbers 8, 9, 10, 11, 6 and 7 may be moved from one to four squares in any direction excepting that '5 may move either one or two squares ahead or at an angle to the line of scrimmage but not sidewise or baekwar The defensive team under the guidance of B may be formed 'or spread over the field according to the ideas or strategy B has in mind but his playershave more freedom for forward movement as his fourback field players and ends may each move from one to six squares in any direction excepting backward, their numbers being res ctively 8", 9", 10*, 11?, 6 and 7", while the fifie line men may be moved from one to three squares forward or at an angle to the line of scrimmage but not backward, their numbers being 1 to 5 inclusive.

When both teams are arranged on the field advanced toward Bs goalwhich might befrom ten to sixty yards.

ed in advancing the ball to Bs twenty-yard line and sup osedly in a straight line down the field and that the nearest player to the ball is 10", B will move 10 to the position the ball is supposed to occupy and will attach the ball to that player.

B will now spin the arrow 20 on his indicator to determine by chance the distance 1O is supposed to return the ball by arun which we will say, is "12 yards as shown by the restingplace of the arrow and the n-u- Ineral to which it points in the circular area having 12 as the highest numeral thereon.

The ball will=be removed from 10 and will now be placed in a square at Bs thirtytwo yard line, and the teams formed for scrimmage as shown in said Figure 2.

The ball being in the possession of Bs team.

If B decides to snap the ball back to a particular player he. will do so by attaching the ball to that player; he will then. move player or any other player in his discretion, the number of squaresrequired or allowed as best suits his purpose and object he has in mind? Each-participant in turn moves a player, the obiect being for .the offence to advance the ball for gains or a touchdownas in the usual game and for the defence to prevent the advance, and obtain the ball on'downs.

If'a player of the defensive team succeeds in getting so close to the player carr ing the. all and by occupy the same square, such pla a down, and 1;; case a player of count s as a ll 11 15 Let it be supposed that the kick-off result-' ter-.

imust be moved in accordance with the limi- .tations above referred to for the oifensive his .next move won (1 blocking the progress of the ball and he is to be disposed of a player of the other team may if possible maneuver so as to finally on his next move occupy the same square when both of those players will be taken off the board until the next lineup or formation for scrimmage.

It is not deemed necessary to enumerate the many plays and combinations possible, as it'is believed that it will be understood that the game is one requiring skill and strategy for success and that a knowledge of football is not necessary but very beneficial.

In the event that a touchdown is made the participant directing that team resortsto the indicator 16, spins the arrow 20 and abides by the result of good or not good, whereupon play will be again resumed according to the oflicial rules of the game of football.

As in the regular game linesmen L are provided at the sides of the board for the usual purpose.

From the foregoing it will be readily understood that the great majority of the 4 moves of the players are made by the participants and to great extent the result of the game depends upon the skillful manner in which the moves are made and the strategy exercised in planning the attack or defence as the case may be,

It is not known that a football ame of this class has ever been made wherein players have been used, and arranged to be moved individually for formation or strategy, or wherein a ball is used and arranged to be carried by any one of the players chosen for the purpose, or wherein the great the decision as majority of the plays are made by the participants without the help or aid of indicators manually operated, and which merely indicate chance decisions and not the 'exhibition of skill or strategy.

Having described the invention I claim:

A game of foot ball requiring an element of skill and chance decisions, and compris ing a board laid out in representation of a foot ball field, andhaving its playing surface further divided into areas each representing one yard square, each area being provided with a hole centrally thereof; objects representing players to the number required for two opposing teams, each player being provided with a pin extending from the base thereof for engagement with the holesof the said board-whereby the said players may be temporarily, and removably fixed in the said areas in any line up or formation desired, each player being provided with a hook for the temporary attachment of a ball thereto; an object representing aball providedwith an eye to engage the hook of any designated player; an indicator device at each end of said board one arranged to be manipulated to indicate a chance decision at the start of the game, as for a kick ofi by the offensive team, and the other to be manipulated by the defense to give a chance decision as to the yardage gained on a supposed run back; said ball being arranged to be removed from a player of the offensive team carrying it at the time of kick off, to a. player designated to make the supposed run back.

Signed b me at Boston, this 11th ay of May 1926.

. CHARLES G. DEVINE.

Massachusetts, 

